Capítulo 917: Chapter 705: Snowbird Port City Lord: Long Fu Is a Real One! (Super-Length Chapter)
Yes, it’s a crisis.
After losing the defense core of the Mage Tower, Snowbird Port’s vulnerability was completely exposed.
Snowbird Port was visited by the Vegetable Basket pirate group. The city suffered heavy losses, the City Lord’s Mansion was blown up, but on the other hand, there were huge fortunes in other parts of Snowbird Port that remained untouched.
“The Mage Tower must be rebuilt immediately!!” The City Lord of Snowbird Port shouted in his heart.
Building a Mage Tower can be a long-term project, or not at all. The key is as long as the money is in place.
Building a Mage Tower in two or three days is unlikely. But it is entirely possible in a week. Because here is the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, a country with top-notch alchemy technology on the Main Plane.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port estimated that by gathering half of the Alchemy Guild’s strength, a new Mage Tower could be reconstructed within a week.
Even if the new Mage Tower is more rudimentary than the old one, it is definitely better than having none.
Whether or not there is a Mage Tower makes a qualitative difference.
“The issue is money!” The City Lord of Snowbird Port immediately identified the crux of the problem.
The City Lord’s Mansion was blown up, and all the money inside was gone.
The treasury held last month’s tax revenue, his own private funds, and so on.
“To be precise, only the gold coins were lost; the silver and copper coins are still there.”
However, these silver and copper coins were all melted or scattered as metal shards amidst the ruins after the explosion.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port had already ordered subordinates to recover them.
But he also understood: even if it were all recovered, this amount of money is just a drop in the bucket, making little difference. The most valuable part must have been stolen beforehand.
“Most likely, a third party was involved.”
“They plotted against me and also against Cong Mang’s Vegetable Basket pirate group!”
“They stole all the gold coins and my entire secret vault.”
After the mansion was blown up, the City Lord of Snowbird Port’s accumulated wealth was almost entirely lost; now what he had to do was to bandage himself up as if severely wounded and report to the higher-ups.
“Clan Leader, I have to contact you, here’s the situation…” The City Lord of Snowbird Port used a remote real-time communication device to contact his clan leader.
When the Clan Leader of the Xueben family received the communication, his face was grave, because he knew that every second of using such a remote real-time communication device consumed a huge amount of mana, and it wouldn’t be used unless in an emergency.
As long as this device was used, it indicated that the situation was very serious and urgent.
“What’s going on, is Snowbird Port under pirate attack?” The Xueben Clan Leader hurriedly asked, “Do you need family assistance?”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port coughed and spat out a mouthful of blood: “To be precise, the pirates have already retreated.”
“The situation at the time was very complex, I tried my best, but still couldn’t… cough cough.”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port coughed up more blood, his face as pale as paper.
Seeing him in such a miserable state, the Xueben Clan Leader felt a significant increase in his sense of foreboding.
Then, the City Lord of Snowbird Port said: “Now, although our side is barely hanging on, the crisis has not abated. The Mage Tower of Snowbird Port has been completely destroyed, my City Lord’s Mansion suffered the same disaster, urgently needing family assistance to rebuild the Mage Tower!”
“What?!” Upon hearing that even the Mage Tower was gone, the Xueben Clan Leader’s vision went dark, and his expression collapsed on the spot.
Rebuilding the Mage Tower will undoubtedly require enormous funds.
The current situation of Snowbird Port, especially needing to quickly construct a Mage Tower in the short term, would require at least ten times the funds.
The Xueben Clan Leader, filled with anger, began questioning the City Lord of Snowbird Port, why was he so careless? How did it come to this? Such heavy losses in this battle, you as the City Lord bear unshirkable responsibility! If this matter is not handled properly, your political future as City Lord will inevitably be dim!
The City Lord of Snowbird Port kept his head down the entire time, enduring the scolding, occasionally coughing up blood, acting as miserable as possible.
The Xueben Clan Leader, after scolding for a while, was also tired, seeing the miserable City Lord of Snowbird Port, he sighed deeply: “You did the right thing by contacting me and the family.”
“You must remember, no matter what position you hold, you are Xue Yue, you were born with this name, you are a member of the Xueben family, that’s your mark, something you can’t erase your whole life!”
“For now, whether it’s His Majesty or the Grand Mage, they are retracting their forces, waiting for the right opportunity, the atmosphere in the Royal Capital is very subtle.”
“If you report directly, the Royal Family may not take action, the Alchemy Guild is focusing on hosting the Warm Snow Cup.”
“As for the National Ceremony, as long as your Snowbird Port hasn’t been frozen by Da Han’s pirate group, don’t expect any reinforcements.”
“We need to plan long-term for this matter.”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port, Xue Yue, looked anxious: “But! My priority now is to rebuild the Mage Tower, this can’t wait, Clan Leader.”
“Hmph!” The Xueben Clan Leader looked displeased, “Usually you never contact the family, now something’s happened, do you finally know who you can rely on?”
“The family isn’t your cash machine, you need to understand that.”
“As Clan Leader, I have to consider the big picture, not just your situation.”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port frowned: “But considering the family members, only I hold down this territory. Clan Leader, if I am held accountable for failing to defend the borders this time and demoted from the position of City Lord, it could also have a huge negative impact on the family.”
The Xueben Clan Leader sighed, speaking deeply: “I would certainly not stand by idly, but you need to present something substantial to satisfy the other family members, do you understand?”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port’s expression darkened, he was silent for a moment, then nodded: “Then please tell me what you think, Clan Leader.”
Following that, there was a round of negotiations between the two.
The family’s kinship became a bargaining chip, like a thin veil covering the cold struggle for underlying interests.
A moment later, the negotiations ended.
The two sides did not reach an agreement.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port, Xue Yue, cursed, his expression gloomy, though this result was not unexpected for him.
He was from the Xue Beng family, but his relationship with them was not harmonious.
“That old thing!” The metallic surface of the long-distance alchemy communication device reflected the ordinary face of the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
As a Snow Elf, how could his appearance be ordinary?
Although the City Lord of Snowbird Port was from the Xue Beng family, he was a mixed-blood, half Snow Elf, half Human.
From birth, he suffered exclusion and oppression.
The more he was oppressed, the more he strived.
But for a mixed-blood in a racially proud Elf Kingdom, seeking good development was indeed too difficult.
It wasn’t until he was developed into the empire’s spy that he truly found a path for advancement!
As for becoming the City Lord of Snowbird Port, it was also a result of the Empire’s secret support. But on the surface, he was considered someone who got lucky by a fluke, a beneficiary of political struggles within the Kingdom’s upper echelons.
At least, that’s how the entire Xue Beng family, including the Clan Leader, viewed it.
Since he obtained the position of City Lord, the Xue Beng family reached out, greedily…
The City Lord of Snowbird Port intended to use the resources and contacts of the Xue Beng family, but they were too greedy. The City Lord of Snowbird Port was loyal to the imperial spies and had to ensure his independence, at least outwardly. Therefore, many benefits and key positions could not be occupied by members of the Xue Beng family.
At the time, this led to significant friction.
The entire Xue Beng family was greatly disappointed in the City Lord of Snowbird Port, condemning him for being ungrateful, to the point that some family members tried underhanded plots and schemes against him, attempting to remove him from his position.
How could they succeed?
The Imperial Spy Organization carefully selected and painstakingly elevated the City Lord of Snowbird Port, and naturally wanted to protect him.
Thus, the external political crisis of the City Lord of Snowbird Port surprisingly dissolved, and upon assuming office, he became cautious, preferring to do nothing rather than make mistakes, gradually securing his position.
Of course, he didn’t just rest idly; he continued to try secretly, constantly accumulating strength, patiently awaiting the opportunity.
He awaited the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
Then, within a day, he swept the Saber Gang cleanly and decisively, attracting significant attention.
He made a significant impression, the entire upper echelon of the Kingdom looked at him anew—they re-evaluated him—Xue Yue, a mixed-blood of the Xue Beng family, the current City Lord of Snowbird Port, was not merely a lucky man, he was capable!
But now…
Snowbird Port was attacked by pirates, the Cong Mang’s Vegetable Basket pirate group landed successfully with ease. At the start of the battle, the defensive core mage tower of Snowbird Port was bombed, and even his City Lord mansion was blown up.
Disgraceful.
Extremely disgraceful!
The City Lord of Snowbird Port was seriously derelict in his duties!
This was the biggest crisis since he took office.
He would surely be held accountable.
For now, he wasn’t only because the Ice Sculpture Kingdom also faced numerous challenges, and the upper levels had no mind to deal with him.
Once the National Ceremony concluded, once they had breathing room, he feared the City Lord position would be stripped from him completely.
“Unless I receive help from Lord [Coup] once more.”
“But my relationship with Lord [Coup] must remain hidden; he couldn’t possibly come to my full aid.”
“I must save myself!”
“I must rely on myself to navigate this crisis.”
“At the very least, I have to give it my all!”
Enormous pressure did not crush the City Lord of Snowbird Port, instead, it fueled his determination even more.
When he walked out of the communication room, he held his head high, as if the negotiation with the Xue Beng Clan Leader had reached an ideal outcome.
“It’s just that an agreement hasn’t been reached yet.”
“How could such matters be settled in a single talk?”
“The key is, I’ve initially secured the support of the Xue Beng family.”
“This time, with my significant dereliction, the Xue Beng family must sound the alarm, employ their network resources, and make numerous preliminary arrangements to retain my position quickly in the future.”
“This way, it seems my family is indeed useful somehow.”
“Hehe.”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port had already thought of a plan and had begun to implement it.
Utilizing the Xue Beng family was only his first step.
“Next, it’s time to invite my friends.” The City Lord of Snowbird Port tore off his bandages.
He wasn’t seriously injured to begin with.
With several tugs, he broke the bandages, striding proudly into the corridor.
He discarded the bandages on the ground, leaving them for a servant to clean up.
His actions were rough, and his breath was heavy, lacking any hint of the elegance typical of a Snow Elf, like an enraged bull.
Because he knew, just like countless times before, he had to fight with all his strength against his destiny!
“I can negotiate the loan myself.”
“A large-scale loan!”
“The Sea Bird sect is my ally, and they’ve fought alongside me.”
“The Bangbu Guild, the Secret Potion Guild, etc., all have branches in Snowbird Port. Without the Mage Tower, they might not feel secure either. Raising funds to build the Mage Tower is our common goal!”
“Tan Mo… that damn guy.” Thinking of Tan Mo, the City Lord of Snowbird Port gritted his teeth in hatred, “But cooperation isn’t impossible. I could concede a portion of Snowbird Port’s future profits in exchange for Tan Mo’s cash. Even if he demands a high price…”
The City Lord of Snowbird Port was now completely composed.
He was already mentally prepared to be exploited. He would rather agree to Tan Mo’s high price than compromise with the Xiebeng family, even though the latter’s price was lower than Tan Mo’s.
The reason, of course, was not emotional opposition.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port had long been a qualified political figure, thinking deeper: “Tan Mo is just an outsider, a member of the Human Race who came to the Ice Sculpture Kingdom because he accepted an investigative mission.”
“The Xiebeng family, however, is a local power. Once I agree to them, opening this door, they will continuously infiltrate, impossible to get rid of.”
Even if it means letting go of huge personal profits, it matters whom the concessions are given to.
Although it would be unbearably painful, the loss significant, the City Lord Xue Yue of Snowbird Port deeply understood: concessions must be made!
Politics is an art of compromise!!
If he didn’t choose to concede while he was still City Lord and had the capital, in the future he wouldn’t even have the chance to concede.
“City Lord, people from the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps have come to visit.” When the City Lord of Snowbird Port arrived at his study, he received a report from his subordinate.
Sanda and Menshi had both arrived at the City Lord’s suburban manor in Snowbird Port.
“Why are they here?” The City Lord of Snowbird Port was aware of “Earth Dagger” (Sanda).
After all, Snowbird Port had become his territory, and with intelligence from the Imperial Spy Organization, he knew about the organizational structure of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ branch in Snowbird Port. On the surface, Menshi and Chi Lai, both Silver Level elites, appeared to be leaders, but that wasn’t the case.
The real leader was the Black Iron Level Earth Dagger (Sanda)!
Such a situation was rare.
In this world of power, the strongest usually held the leadership position.
However, the City Lord of Snowbird Port understood this situation. He had already made a reasonable explanation: since the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps acted as proxies for arms dealers, the true manipulators were those behind them. Long Fu is like this, and so is Earth Dagger. Chi Lai and Menshi are loyal not to Earth Dagger but to the arms dealers.
“Chi Lai and Menshi just joined midway; they aren’t core members.”
“There are some hidden members in the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps who are core members of the arms dealers, likely having undergone long-term training, with high loyalty. People like Long Fu and Lion Flag definitely apply, and so did the previous Hen Fa; the current Earth Dagger should be one too. That ‘Sleeping Man’ is an even more hidden trump card!”
Even though the City Lord of Snowbird Port was still a distance from the truth, with limited intelligence, he had guessed the composition of the survivors in the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
However, when he thought of the Big guy, the City Lord of Snowbird Port’s eyes dimmed.
He felt a sharp heartache.
The Big guy was supposed to be future Holy Domain Level, and now he was blown to pieces, bones and all!
Holy Domain Level, that was supposed to be future Holy Domain Level.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port believed that all his financial losses were nothing compared to the loss of the Big guy.
A moment later, the door of the study was knocked.
“Come in.” The City Lord of Snowbird Port slightly adjusted his sitting posture.
Sanda and Chi Lai pushed the door open and entered, both bowing in respect.
“Please sit.” The City Lord of Snowbird Port smiled.
Having learned about the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ branch’s internal affairs, he naturally didn’t look down on Sanda and was somewhat curious about the latter’s intentions.
Sanda was straightforward; after a few courtesy exchanges, he directly stated their purpose. The gist was that, thanks to the support of the City Lord of Snowbird Port, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps branch was saved. Now, Long Fu, the squad leader, learned about the situation here and sent him to discuss a new collaboration with the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
“What collaboration?” The City Lord of Snowbird Port showed obvious interest.
Sanda continued his speech.
As soon as he heard that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was willing to offer two hundred thousand Gold Coins for the transaction, the City Lord of Snowbird Port felt elated.
This money came at just the right time, just when he needed it!
Little did he know that this money had been stolen from his City Lord’s mansion treasury. Of course, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps wouldn’t be foolish enough to pay the exact original sum. The stolen Gold Coins would be transferred along the Royal Capital route, and the two hundred thousand Gold Coins would be extracted from the Magic Potion earnings.
“So what do you request?” The City Lord of Snowbird Port asked calmly.
“We need some materials.” Sanda handed over a list.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port took it and frowned.
The materials listed, for the most part, couldn’t be purchased in large quantities on the market. Many were contraband.
Such as the Heart of ice, or a large amount of Dragon Corpse.
The City Lord of Snowbird Port shook his head slightly, indicating the difficulty.
Sanda thought: enough already. The materials stolen by the Big guy included the Golden Level White Dragon Claw, a pure White Dragon Species, and a large amount of Heart of ice!
All these indicated that the City Lord of Snowbird Port had channels to get these items. Perhaps the price was high, or the risk was substantial.
But for the Snowbird Port City Lord in his current predicament, both the cost and the risk are secondary.
Sanda seized on this point, and was adamant about the condition.
The Snowbird Port City Lord only wanted to raise the price a bit, and seeing Sanda’s firm stance, he agreed.
“To be honest, the Lijian family’s connections and resource channels are better than mine. Hasn’t your group thought of any way to approach them?” the Snowbird Port City Lord asked.
He didn’t even question the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ desire for these contraband materials.
In his view: as an agent for an arms dealer, collecting some alchemy materials externally isn’t a big deal. Completely normal. The difficult point is that these materials are forbidden in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
Sanda let out a bitter laugh: “Our cooperation with the Lijian family has become too deep, and that’s not good either.”
A subtle gleam quickly flashed across the Snowbird Port City Lord’s eyes.
He suddenly remembered a previous intelligence report.
The Lijian family had discovered the massive profit potential in the mount magic potion business and wanted to bind the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps completely, becoming their only partner. The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps side said they were considering it.
“Now it seems the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps does not want to continue cooperating with the Lijian family.”
“Exactly. The true allegiance of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps is to the arms dealers. As merchants selling alchemy weapons, they naturally do not want to rely solely on one force, as this would obviously restrict them in the future. They want to be flexible and ensure maximum freedom for profit.”
The Snowbird Port City Lord immediately saw through the needs of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
Sanda continued: “It’s also thanks to you, City Lord. It was you who mediated and bridged the cooperation between us and the Lijian family back in the day.”
“I wonder if you could connect with the Jingxiang family?”
The Snowbird Port City Lord quickly thought of the standoff in the magic potion market.
The sales of mount magic potions were booming, but the main giants were only two: the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps + the Lijian family and the Jingxiang family. Surprisingly, the traditional powerhouse Alchemy Guild had little performance, shocking many outsiders.
“The Jingxiang family is the most skilled in making magic potions among the Kingdom Nobles, but unfortunately, I can’t help mediate between your two parties.”
Snowbird Port City Lord himself is of mixed-blood status, with limited standing, suffering subtle discrimination.
Back in the day, the collaboration between the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and the Lijian family was mainly due to the strength of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps itself.
But now, the true intent of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps is to reconcile, even cooperate with the Jingxiang family. This significantly exceeds the capabilities of the Snowbird Port City Lord. Not only because it involves resolving the accumulated conflicts between the two parties but also dealing with the Lijian family’s retaliation.
Sanda wasn’t surprised. Snowbird Port City Lord could investigate them, and they naturally could investigate the Snowbird Port City Lord.
Information about the Snowbird Port City Lord originating from the Xueben family and being of mixed-blood status was sold at a low price in the Thief Guild.
At the next moment, Sanda spoke of the main purpose of this visit: “Then, please, Snowbird Port City Lord, spread some other rumors.”
“What rumors?”
Sanda’s tone and demeanor were exceedingly calm: “About the severe discord between the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and the Lijian family, the Lijian family wanting to seize the maximum magic potion profits, oppressing the Long Fu side. Long Fu, unwilling to be humiliated, was quite furious and once publicly declared a desire to cooperate with the Jingxiang family!”
The Snowbird Port City Lord was taken aback.
Immediately, as if a lightning bolt struck his mind, he almost exclaimed: “Ingenious!”
This move is truly ingenious!
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps has firmly decided to cut ties with the Lijian family. They now want to partner with the Jingxiang family, their former commercial adversary.
Spreading this rumor would directly unveil the internal discord between the two sides. The key is that the Lijian family’s situation is currently quite grim. The kingdom’s high echelon is universally dissatisfied with the Lijian family’s performance in the naval battle!
One could say the Lijian family’s predicament is far worse than the Snowbird Port City Lord’s.
For the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, this is undoubtedly the best time to break the collaboration with the Lijian family.
With the rumor released, all forces within the Kingdom would be aware.
This act is equivalent to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps offering a step down, waiting for various sides to extend an olive branch.
The mount magic potion sales are too hot; as long as cooperation exists, there’s money to be made, who wouldn’t want in?
The Snowbird Port City Lord also wanted in, but unfortunately, his strength wasn’t enough to access such massive profits, only leaving him to drool in envy.
Half an hour later, Sanda and Chi Lai bade farewell.
Both sides reached an agreement and signed the contract on the spot.
The Snowbird Port City Lord was very satisfied at heart.
“I can feel that Long Fu genuinely wants to help me. He didn’t ask for a lion’s share, everything was according to market price, and he even provided me with a large amount of funds that I most needed.”
This was exactly what the Snowbird Port City Lord urgently needed, a true helping hand when he was in a bind.
“Of course, there are still risks with this cooperation.”
“After all, what they want is contraband.”
But the Snowbird Port City Lord had a strong willingness to resist these risks to maintain his position.
“Comparatively, the risk of spreading rumors is greater, as it might offend the Lijian family.”
“But it doesn’t matter; I can use the Imperial Spy Organization to handle this affair.”
“Then it would have nothing to do with me, the Snowbird Port City Lord!”
“Long Fu, that guy, is indeed good, straightforward in action, generous, and humane.”
“Sadly, once I get past this hurdle, I still have to deal with you, to expose the arms dealer behind you.”
“In the future, if possible, I’ll also give you a hand as a form of repayment.”